Ski boot level indicator



Api 2,1968 T, B. KENNEDY SKI BOOT LEVEL INDICATOR Filed Oct.

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INVENTOR THOMAS B. KENNEDY A Lr l 36 United States Patent hice 3,375,586Patented Apr. 2, 1968 3,375,586 SKI BGOT LEVEL INDICATOR Thomas B.Kennedy, 2090 Radio Ave., San Jose, Calif. 95125 Filed Get. 3, 1966,Ser. No. 583,854 6 Claims. (Cl. 333) This invention relates to a skiboot level indicator, and pertains more particularly to a mechanism forchecking any deviation from a laterally level condition of the bottom ofthe sole and heeel of each of a pair of ski boots while the latter arebeing worn.

Many people do not normally stand, walk or ski with the soles of theirfeet laterally level. In walkingl Ithis condition results in increasedwear on one side or the other of the persons shoe worn on the affectedfoot. In skiing when the bottoms of both skis are not late-rally levelwhen a skier is in his normal skiing stance, it requires muscularcorrection just to ski straight ahead or down hill. Also, when the skisare not normally level the skier nds that he turns more easily andnaturally one way than the other. In fact, where this condition existsmuscular compensation must be made for every maneuver performed by theskier, and such a person rarely becomes really good at the sport.

An o-bject of the present invention is to provide .an improved mechanismfor indicating the l-aterally level condition of the bottoms of a pairof ski boots when the latter are being worn.

A further object of the invention is to provide a` portable indicatorfor checking the level condition of the bottoms of the sole and heel ofeach of a skiers boots when the latter are being Worn.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the fol-lowing description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a boot sole level indicator embodying thepresent invention, portions being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1, oneheel plate being spaced upwardly from its step plate.

Referring .to the drawings, an illustrative boot sole level indicator Aembodying the invention comprises a frame 10 supported on a hoor 12(FIG. 2) by the domed heads of four leveling screws 14, one of which isprovided at each corner of the frame. Each screw 14 has a knurled rim 16and a threaded stem 18, the latter of which is screwed into a threadedhole 20 provided one in each corner of the frame. The frame 10 has anintegral platform portion 26 and lateral frame level indicating meansare provided, such as a conventional bubble level 28 mounted flush withthe top of the frame 10. By adjusting the leveling screws 14 the frame10 can be precisely leveled even when supported upon an irregular orslightly non-level surface.

A rectangular opening 30 is provided in the platform 26, and a pair ofintegral, axially drilled and axially parallel cylindrical bosses 32(FIG. 1) extend inwardly tothe edge of the opening 30 from the rear orlower end portion of the frame 10 and closely beneath the platform 26. Apair of step plate pivotal support screws 36, each having a head 38 `anda threaded end opposite portion 40, are inserted one in each of 'therear drilled bosses 32, and are screwed in axially parallel relation,into a pair of internally threaded drilled bosses 42 which extendinwardly from the upper or forward end of the frame 10. A pair ofwashers 46 on each screw 36 are interposed one between each of thebosses 32 and 42 :and a pair of step plate mount-ing ears 48 whichdepend one from each end of each of a pair of laterally tilting stepplates 50 and 52.

The ears 48 of each of the step plates have axially aligned holestherein centered beneath their respective step plates and of a diameterto receive one of the rods 36 for relative pivotal movement thereon.Each step plate is positioned with its top surface slightly above thetop of the platform 26.

Suitable bloot positioning means such as removable heel plates 58 and 59preferably are provided for the step plates 50 and 52, respectively, toaid in longitudinally centering .a pair of ski boots on the step platesas indicated by the broken lines outlines 60 and 61 (FIG. 1). Ifdesired, conventional ski bindings, not shown, may be provided on thestep plates, or, if the wearer desires to check the level condition ofhis stance wrhile actua-lly wearing skis, the top surfaces of the stepplates may be left flat and unencumbered so that one ski can becentrally aligned on eaoh step plate.

In'dicating means are provided for each of the step plates, and, sincesuch means are similar but reversed for both step plates, that of theright hand step plate only is described in detail. An indicator needle62 atlixed to the forward mounting ear 48 of the step plate 52 extendslaterally toward the o-pposite side of the frame 10, and has a curvedportion. 64 (FIG. 2) formed therein to provide operating clearance fromthe left hand pivot support screw 36 during indicating movement of theneedle.

An electrical Contact portion 66 is provided on the free end of theneedle 62 and rides along a supporting ridge 70 of electricallyconductive material, such as copper, and also along a row of contactpoints 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86 and 88 (FIG. 2) yaligned in theplane in which the needle contact portion 66 swings. The ridge 70 iselectrically connected to one side of a conventional indicating lightcircuit and is insulated from the contact points except when bridged toan individual one thereof by the contact portion 66 of the needle. Thecontact points are electrically insulated `from each other. A pluralityof indicator electric lights 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104 and 106are mounted on tlhe frame 10, preferably on the same side of the `frame`as the `step plate which controls them, and are electrically connected,one to each contact point, in sequence corresponding to that of thecontact points.

Electrical current is supplied to the indicating light circuit bysuitable means, for example, by an electrical dry cell battery 108mounted in a spring clip 110 on the frame 10. Contacts 109 and 111electrically connect the battery 108 with the light circuit and aconventional electrical switch 112 is provided to energize the circuit.Since suitable circuitry will be obvious to anyone having even arudimentary knowledge of electrical circuits, and since the circuit isnot per se a feature of the invention, the details thereof are omitted.

Electrical indicating means similar to those described for the righthand step plate 52 are provided for indicating any tilt deviation of theleft hand step plate 50, and corresponding parts of the indicating meansfor the left hand step plate are designated by the same referencenumerals as those for the right hand step plate with the prime added.

In operation, the indicating mechanism A is placed upon a suitablesupporting surface 12, and the leveling screws 14 are adjusted until thelevel 28 indicates that the platform 26 is laterally level. The circuitswitches 112 are closed tto energize the indicator light circuits, .andthe person to be checked, wearing his ski boots, steps onto the stepplates 50 and 52 with his right ski boot l-ongitudinally centered uponthe right hand step plate 52 and his left ski boot similarly centered onleft hand step plate 50. With the person being tested standing in hisnormal skiing stance, if the center lights- 98 and 98 are both 3illuminated it indicates that the bottoms of both boots are level andthat no correction is required.

If the bottom of either boot is not level it causes a correspondinglateral tilt of the step plate Si) or 52 upon which it is supportedwhich causes the indicator contact needle 62 or 62 connected thereto toswing up or'down as the case may be to contact one of the other contactpoints and illuminate the indicator light associated therewith. rThelight thus illuminated for each step plate indicates the direction and.amount of tilt of the associated step plate and the bottom of the bootresting thereon.

With the readings thus obtained, the bottom surfaces of each boot soleand -heel are then either built up by attaching suitable wedge-shapedsole pieces thereto, or are ground oif or corrected by otherconventional boot-making procedures to provide the correction indicatedas required by the indicating mechanism A. Since such bootmakingprocedures are conventional and are well known particularly amongorthopedic bootmakers, and since the boot sole correction procedure isnot per Yse a feature of the present invention, it is not illustrated ordescribed herein.

After the boots have thus been modified the subject again puts on theboots and repeats the test described previously herein to insure thatthe proper correction has been made.

The invention provides a quick, easy and accurate means for measuring,and thereby providing accurate data for correcting, any lateral angulardeviation from a level conditions of the bottoms of a skiers boots, andthereby of his skis, when a skier is in a normal skiing stance. It hasbeen found that when a skier who does not normally stand with both feetlaterally level has his boots altered as described herein his skiingusually shows a marked and early improvement.

While l have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, it will be understood, however that various changesand modifications may be made in the details thereof without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. A ski boot level indicating mechanism comprising:

a frame,

porting said subject, means for mounting each step plate for freelateral tilting movement to correspond with a lateral tilted conditionof the ski boot bottom, the longitudinal center line of each ski bootbeing parallel to and substantially centered above the tilt axis of itsstep plate, and

means for indicating the direction and amount of any lateral tiltingdeviation between the .trame andthe top surface of each of the stepplates.

2. A ski boot level indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe pivotal axes of both step plates being parallel.

3. A ski boot level indicating mechanism in accordance with claim 2wherein means are provided on each step plate for longitudinallycentering a ski boot thereon.

4. A ski boot level indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe means for indicating the direction and amount of lateral tiltinclude a pair of pointers xed to pivot one with each of said stepplates about the longi tudinal axis thereof, each arm extendingtransversely to the longitudinal axis of its respective step plate,and aseries of indicator vpoints stationary relative to said frame andaligned with the arc of swing of each o-f said arms.

5. A ski boot level indicating mechanism in accord ance with claim 4wherein each of the points is an electrical contact point and anelectric light is electrically` connected thereto for illumination byits respective contact point.

6. A ski boot level indicating mechanism as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe at top surfaces of the step plates are spaced upwardly from theframe sufficiently `that a pair of skis supported one longitudinally ofeach step plate will clear the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,535,787 12/1950 Darby 33--174LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

L. V. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SKI BOOT LEVEL INDICATING MECHANISM COMPRISING: A FRAME, MEANS FORLATERALLY LEVELING THE FRAME, A PAIR OF STEP PLATES MOUNTED INSIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION ON THE FRAME, EACH STEP PLATE HAVING AN UPWARDLYEXPOSED SURFACE FOR SUPPORTING ONE OF A PAIR OF SKI BOOTS BEING WORN BYA SUBJECT AND FOR THEREBY SUPPORTING SAID SUBJECT, MEANS FOR MOUNTINGEACH STEP PLATE FOR FREE LATERAL TILTING MOVEMENT TO CORRESPOND WITH ALATERAL TILTED CONDITION OF THE SKI BOOT BOTTOM, THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF EACH SKI BOOT BEING PARALLEL TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY CENTERED ABOVETHE TILT AXIS OF ITS STEP PLATE, AND MEANS FOR INDICATING THE DIRECTIONAND AMOUNT OF ANY LATERAL TILTING DEVIATION BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THETOP SURFACE OF EACH OF THE STEP PLATES.